


remembering the sea

by unhappyrefrain



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: M/M, dorks reading storybooks and kissing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-17
Updated: 2013-09-17
Packaged: 2017-12-26 21:44:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 719
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/970620
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unhappyrefrain/pseuds/unhappyrefrain
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Eren can't sleep, and naturally the only thing he can think to do is get Armin to read him a story.</p>
            </blockquote>





	remembering the sea

**Author's Note:**

  * For [keriito](https://archiveofourown.org/users/keriito/gifts).



It's warm at night here and the blankets are hot enough without Eren nestled into your side, sleeping somewhat restlessly and mumbling against your shirt as his feet poke out from under the covers. You wonder if he's having another nightmare, and you don't have to wonder twice-- it's plain as day when he rolls over violently and immediately slams into the wall next to your bunk.

"Eren... Are you awake?"

"Nngh," he grunts, and rises from under the duvet, clutching his head. "What... ow."

"Nightmare?"

He shakes his head but you can tell he's just acting strong-- and dear God, it's so apparent that he's scared when he wraps his arms around your waist and burrows further under the blankets.

_This insufferable child_ , you think, a smile coming to your face.

( _you're not much better either._ )

"Can't sleep?" you ask him.

"Can't..."

You wait for him to finish his sentence-- and he's out like a light. Already his eyes are closed and his breathing against your ribs returns to normal. He couldn't even finish his sentence, you think. Typical Eren.

Fifteen minutes later he wakes up and prods your side, saying, "Armin, Armin wake _up_ ," and you don't know if he knows that you've been awake this whole time. He comes wiggling out of the covers and making enough noise to wake most of the other trainees in the squad, and the first thing he says to you when his head finally pokes out is, "Armin, read me a story."

"Everyone's asleep, silly," you respond, but at this point he doesn't seem to want to take no for an answer, and so you reach under the mattress and recover one of your shared picture books. Some of the pages are ripped out and you've had to roughly cross out a lot of the lines due to officers figuring out that this book was all about the world outside the walls, the world no one wanted the children to know about. But you remember them by heart because you've read it to Eren so many times when he's had nightmares, and you took it upon yourself to memorize it if need be.

You quietly light the candle next to your bedside and he sits up next to you, bedhead still intact, yawning quietly.

"The continent ends in an ocean-- water so deep no one can see the bottom, filled with marvelous creatures who differ in shape and size. Water so salty it stings the eyes, and waves beating the shore endlessly..."

( _Eren's always loved your voice_.)

"How does salt water even _exist_ ," he mutters, half-conscious.

"It's like that time Sasha smuggled salt from the kitchen and poured all of it into one of the canteens... It tastes like that, I would think. Anyway..."

Eren muffles a quiet sound of mirth and Jean's half-asleep complaints sound from the other side of the room.

"Keep it down, _lovebirds_ ," he drones. Connie in the bunk above him makes a noise.

"Arlelt, tell your _boyfriend_ to go back to sleep."

The light is there and Eren can see you blush-- so deep red that you wonder if you've blended into the brick walls. He reaches a hand over and touches your face and you can see his bashful grin as well.

"He's not my--"

And without warning Eren's lips are against yours and you feel your heart swelling to the point of bursting. He's warm against your chest and you're so shocked that you sense the heat off your own face. Small, callused hands interlace and there's a heartbeat in the webbing of his fingers.

( _eren. you insufferable baby. eren, eren, eren, you silly impulsive childish dork._ )

Eren parts from your lips and Jean's head hits the wall so hard you wince.

"Keep it in your pants, Jaeger," he mutters, halfheartedly exasperated, and Eren's face breaks into a wide, guileless toothy grin and he looks at you with a face you've never been able to separate from him, _Eren_ , he's less about thinking and more about _doing_ , less about logic and more about whatever emotion he may be experiencing.

( _that was love if you've ever seen it._ )

When he notices your face has gone beet red, he sticks out his tongue at you.

( _eren jaeger, what am i going to do with you._ )

 


End file.
